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12/15/09 03:15 PM #1059    

 

Gary Grice

Has Diane left the building (forum)? NOW WE CAN BE WILD AND CRAZY GUYS!!!! Just kidding. Diane - I know you are checking in - you forum junkie you - I will be honored to sit next to you at the nursing home - if you can put up with my shenanigans.
Jim, I do believe you take the prize on names. How many policies have you written on Turnipseeds? Never met one that wasn't just like the other one. They must have all come from the same Turnipseed.
Well, not to be out done with the doctor visits, what started out as a "routine" check-up today has developed into a series of treatments - but very promising to resolve an issue I've been dealing with for about 20 years - vertigo. Everyone has known for sometime that I had rocks in my head, well the vertigo is caused by them rocks getting out of place. Doc thinks she can reposition them and all will be well.
Thursday is my "routine" infusion and rheumatologist visit during the treatment. Its so much fun being a pin cushion. But I'm still a kickin' so I guess everything's okay!
Don, sounds like you married an angel - always singing! I know you are proud. One year my youngest daughter wanted to sing at the Christmas Eve service and wouldn't you know it - that's when the sound system started acting up. She did a great job and just kept on singing. I was VERY proud of her. I'm also always proud of Sherron's singing. Let me see if I can say this right so as not to be misunderstood - its not her but the Holy Spirit that people really hear. I received an email from a gentleman a few weeks ago that explained that during a worship service while standing next to Sherron he was driven to his knees - literally - by her singing. I've been around her and seen it happen so many times over the years. I'm always impressed by the response she receives but never fail to honor the true source of her talent and ability. Excuse me while I shout hallelujah and Praise the Lord.
Looking at a busy rest of the week so I guess I'd better get to work. Hope everyone has a very BLESSED rest of the week. Later.

12/15/09 04:03 PM #1060    

 

Gary Grice

All of us Morgan Freeman fan will find this interesting.

12/15/09 10:38 PM #1061    

 

Connie Morgan (White)

I enjoy reading all of your posts SO MUCH!!!!!

Diane and Dick - have a safe trip and wonderful time visiting with your family.

I must share my week-end misery with you... Woke up Saturday a.m. with what felt like a toothache. Thought that was strange since I had just been for my 6 mo. dental check-up last week, and all was good. Went in the kitchen for my coffee, and when the liquid hit it would have knocked me to my knees had I been standing! The pain rapidly went from "dull ache" to "severe". I spent the week-end in varing degrees of pain, getting no relief from my Motrin. Monday I called my dentist @ 8 a.m. and they worked me in @ 10. Found a tooth had "fractured". Basically had split in half so the roots/nerves, etc. were exposed. Considered an "oral surgery emergency" and the only treatment was to have the tooth pulled. I drove to the oral surgeons and he pulled the tooth that day. Now I just have a gapping hole where the tooth used to be... They said this just sometimes happens where old fillings are in a tooth.

Well, enough about my unexciting adventure. Just thankful to not be hurting anymore.

Early happy birthday wishes Beverly!

Hope you all have good holidays and a Merry Christmas!

love you guys,
connie

12/16/09 03:49 PM #1062    

 

Gary Grice

Ouch! Connie - I know that hurt. If anyone just drops in on this forum, they might think we are all getting .... OLD! I guess one of the good things about getting older is that we have learned to laugh at ourselves. Today's funny sort of brings home the point. Sounds a lot like a story I could have written. Later.

******

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch.
After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip.
When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table and she didn't miss them until they had been driving about twenty minutes.
By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around, in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses.
All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man.
He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up one minute.
To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant.
As the woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her.
"While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card!"

12/17/09 10:14 AM #1063    

 

Donald Chandler

Many of you have prayed for Liz's childhood friend Pat from Louisville, Kentucky, who has suffered from Scleraderma and pulmonary fibrosis. We just received the news that Pat passed away in the early hours this morning. Liz is having a difficult time losing her best friend, so please say a prayer for her. Please pray also for Pat's husband John who has been through a very tough time, especially this past year. And we would be grateful for prayers for their entire family.

Thanks, Don

12/18/09 08:53 AM #1064    

 

Gary Grice

I am so sorry to hear about Liz's friend. I know the grief is only compounded as Christmas approaches. I will keep all in my thoughts and prayers. I know there are no words of comfort but maybe this bit of wisdom I found will help make some sense of this situation and all of the "difficulties" that we must face. Later.

*******

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.


12/18/09 03:06 PM #1065    

 

Gary Grice

As we approach the holidays - when the pounds just seem to jump aboard - I thought it might be helpful to share with you that calories don't count when:

* It is the middle of the night (it's not today and it's not tomorrow)
* We are happy or stressed (corollary: Holidays of any kind)
* We are outside (especially when we are camping)
* It was on the plate of someone else (especially if it the plate of one of your children)
* It is consumed with diet pop
* We have actually broken a sweat (exercised) in the last 24 hours
* Our mother or grandmother made the food
* Our mother or grandmother has recently stressed us out and we made the food
* We are in the car and in a hurry
* It is some form of a salad
* We have recently had problems with members of the opposite sex
* We haven't had problems or any attention from members of the opposite sex in a long time
* It includes whole grains (or is brownish at least)
* It is in liquid form of any kind (anything that can get through a straw is calorie free)
* It doesn't taste very good
* You are in front of a TV or computer
* You are standing up (in front of the refrigerator)
* You are depressed
* It's a free sample at a store
* It's small and cute like an hors d'oeuvres at a cocktail party
* It is really fancy and well made and not something you get every day
* When wearing sweats or other expandable clothing
* When it benefits girl scouts or any other non profit
* When someone else is paying

Later.

12/19/09 12:22 PM #1066    

 

Jimmy Willis

I GIVE THANKS FOR MY GIRLS EVERYDAY, BUT MAN
I HATE SHOPPING!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND
CLASS MATES!!!

AFTER A WHILE
JIM

12/21/09 04:50 PM #1067    

 

Gary Grice

At this Christmas we all have a heart warming story to share. Here's mine:

I was rushing around trying to get the Black Friday bargains before they were gone. I was stressed out and not thinking very fondly of the Christmas season right then. It was dark, cold, and wet in the parking lot as I was loading my car up with gifts that I felt obligated to buy. Then I noticed that I was missing a receipt that I might need later. So mumbling under my breath, I retraced my steps to the mall entrance.

As I was searching the wet pavement for the lost receipt, I heard a quiet sobbing. The crying was coming from a poorly dressed boy of about nine years old.

He was short and thin. He had no coat. He was just wearing a ragged flannel shirt to protect him from the cold night's chill. Oddly enough, he was holding a hundred dollar bill in his hand!

Thinking that he had gotten lost from his parents, I asked him what was wrong. He told me his sad story.

He said that he came from a large family. He had three brothers and four sisters. His father had died when he was six years old. His mother was poorly educated and worked two full time jobs. She made very little to support her large family.

Nevertheless, she had managed to skimp and save two hundred dollars to buy her children Christmas presents. The young boy had been dropped off by his mother, on the way to her second job. He was to use the money to buy presents for all his siblings and save just enough to take the bus home. He had not even entered the mall, when an older boy grabbed one of the hundred dollar bills and disappeared into the night.

"Why didn't you scream for help?" I asked.

The boy said, "I did."

"And nobody came to help you?" I wondered.

The boy stared at the sidewalk and sadly shook his head.

"How loudly did you scream?" I inquired.

The soft-spoken boy looked up and meekly whispered, "Help me!"

I realized that absolutely no one could have heard that poor boy cry for help. So I grabbed his other hundred and ran to my car.?

Later.

12/22/09 10:51 AM #1068    

 

Linda Wheless (Young)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night
love mr.+mrs. clause

12/22/09 11:35 AM #1069    

 

Gary Grice

Linda - where have you been?!? Come back - please come back!!! And everyone else also!!!

I too want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas! Click on this link - Snow Man - for your very special Christmas Card.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Later.

12/22/09 03:51 PM #1070    

 

Gary Grice

.... and now a little humor for the day. Later.

******

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, ‘You stay here; I’ll go on a head.’
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me..
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: ‘Keep off the Grass.’
16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, ‘No change yet.’
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
21. A backward poet writes inverse…
22. In democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it’s your count that votes.
23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
24. Don’t join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!


12/22/09 03:54 PM #1071    

 

Gary Grice

.... and of course a little wisdom also. Later.

***********

Why 1 is one and 2 is two and 3 is three…

The numbers we all use (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) are known as “Arabic” numbers to distinguish them from the “Roman Numerals” (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc). Actually the Arabs popularized these numbers but they were originally used by the early Phonecian traders to count and keep track of their trading accounts.

Have you ever thought why …….. 1 means “one”, and 2 means “two”? The Roman Numerals are easy to understand but what was the logic behind the Phonecian numbers?

It’s all about angles!
It’s the number of angles. If one writes the numbers down (see below) on a piece of paper in their older forms, one quickly sees why. I have marked the angles with “o”s.


12/23/09 08:27 AM #1072    

 

Gary Grice

Just in case you are the one that likes to sing LOUDER than anyone else .... thought this little ditty might be helpful. ...... Later.
*******
A teacher in Atlanta asked her students to write the words to their favorite Christmas Carols. A lot of them ended up as mondegreens, or misheard lyrics. Here are some of the more humorous lines she received:

Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly
We three kings of porridge and tar
On the first day of Christmas my tulip gave to me
Later on we'll perspire, as we dream by the fire.
He's makin a list, chicken and rice.
Noel. Noel, Barney's the king of Israel.
With the jelly toast proclaim
Olive, the other reindeer.
Frosty the Snowman is a ferret elf, I say
Sleep in heavenly peas
In the meadow we can build a snowman, Then pretend that he is sparse and brown
You'll go down in listerine
Oh, what fun it is to ride with one horse, soap and hay
O come, froggy faithful
You'll tell Carol, "Be a skunk, I require"

12/23/09 04:10 PM #1073    

 

Gary Grice

At Christmas time we all think about our friends and I just wanted to say:

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person
who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge
whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, I will know you are
plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you
Quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused, I will use little words.

7. When you are sick,
Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off--
After I laugh my ass off!!

9. This is my oath...
I pledge it to the end.
'Why?' you may ask;
-- because you are my FRIEND!

***********************
Friendship is like peeing your pants:
Everyone can see it,
But only YOU
Can feel the true warmth.
**********************
Merry Christmas .... Friends.
Later.

12/23/09 04:35 PM #1074    

 

Donald Chandler

Season’s Greetings, Mates!

Liz and I are home from our trip to Louisville for Pat’s funeral. We drove up late Saturday, and kind of sneaked in the back door behind that storm out of the South and Midwest that flooded Georgia with more rain and became a blizzard up the East Coast. Even though we drove most of the 425 miles in rain or a wintry mix, we made it safely with no delays or problems.

We woke up Monday morning, the day of Pat’s funeral, with ¼” of snow on the ground… probably the closest I will ever get to a White Christmas. The funeral went on as scheduled and Liz handled it all pretty well. The tears flowed as expected, but we are both happy that Pat is no longer suffering. One of Pat’s last requests was for her husband John to sing “It Is Well With My Soul” at her funeral. He has a wonderful singing voice and did a great job. It was pretty emotional and I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the house.

On the journey home yesterday, a beautiful day, we stopped for a break in Nashville and had lunch at the Opryland Hotel / Resort/ Convention Center. Those of you familiar with it know that it is an enormous complex of hotel rooms, gardens, meeting rooms, restaurants and gift shops complete with a waterway that winds through it all with boat rides for children and adults of all ages. All of this is even more beautiful during the Christmas Season when it is all decorated with Christmas ornaments, lights, Nativities, trees and holiday flowers and plants of every description. It is like a Christmas Wonderland. A nice way to get back in the Christmas Spirit.

Liz and I are planning to attend the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at our church tomorrow night… one of my favorite services during the year. Liz will be singing with the choir, but I don’t have to take photos, so I can just enjoy the music and the special celebration of Christ’s birth. It is wonderfull! On Christmas Day we plan to drive over to Oglethorpe County (any of you ever been there?) to spend the day with my sister Marian and some of my nieces and their families. We have a new great-great-niece in the family… (Samantha, or ‘Sam’ for short)… that we are looking forward to seeing for the first time. The Circle of Life continues.

Please be safe if you are out on the roads for the holidays, and may God Bless you and your families and friends with a wonderful Christmas.

Love & Christmas Blessings!
Don


12/24/09 09:13 AM #1075    

 

Connie Morgan (White)

Gary, I love your jokes!
Don, so glad you had a safe trip.
Diane and Dick, I know you are enjoying your time in Colorado with precious grandchildren and children.

MERRY CHRISTMAS wishes to ALL of you!

Love you, my dear "old" friends!
connie

12/24/09 10:51 AM #1076    

 

Jimmy Willis

FROM MY FAMILY TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! WE WISH
YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! BE CAREFUL EVERYONE!
AFTER A WHILE
JIM

12/24/09 02:12 PM #1077    

 

Donald Chandler

O Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!


12/27/09 09:57 PM #1078    

 

Kathy Carter (Campbell)

How great is our God! Sing with me, how great, how great, is our God!

12/28/09 08:24 AM #1079    

 

Gary Grice

Good Morning Class of '68!!! I hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas and is starting to arrive home safely. Don, your post of O Holy Night brings back SOOOOO many memories. The first time I remember hearing that song was at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. I must have been in about the third or fourth grade and we took a field trip to see a Christmas program put on by UGA students. The lady that sang was dressed like an angel. She was elevated (on a platform or something) and a spot light illuminated her. I still get chills when I think about it. It was so beautiful. My favorite singer performed it again at our Christmas Eve service last Thursday night. She wasn't dressed like an angel and no elevated platform, but still as beautiful as I have ever heard.
I some how managed to get "some" work done on the kitchen over the weekend. Sherron wanted the tile backsplash to be random. This started me to wondering, is there any such thing as a "random pattern"? Sounds like and oxymoron to me but inquiring minds just need to know.
Now that Christmas is "over", its time to start thinking about the New Year. Looks like none of my previous resolutions survived so I thought "try again in 2010" might be appropriate. Most success blueprints say "set a goal and focus on it". Seems like my "goal posts" keep getting moved. Anyhow, this led Sherron and I to a discussion of finding God's best. If you set a goal and focus just on that are you missing God's best for you? Maybe God wants more for you or He has a detour that will make you a better servant. I know that the hardest times I've experienced would not have been "goals" I would have set for myself but I'm a far better person for having gone through them. Maybe this year my resolution will be to seek God's Best, whatever that may be .... and his grace to see me through.
I pray that you ALL have a very BLESSED week as we reflect on the past and look to the future!! Later.

12/29/09 12:11 PM #1080    

 

Diane Harris (Moore)

Greetings to all my dear pals, and I mean that. You are dear to me.

Dick and I got home about 10 PM last night, and he is back at work and I am tackling the suitcases, mail, and assorted other things that need attention after two weeks away. I am in no hurry to take down the tree yet, and want to enjoy it for a couple more days before that chore is started.

I was so wound up after getting home, I couldn't sleep 'till after 2 AM, and then we both had 8 AM routine doctor's appts. What a way to start off the first day back home. It's very, very cold here, and we have snow. I think I'll try and see what's in the freezer that I might be able to make soup from. I really want to cocoon for the rest of the day, and just enjoy being home.

We had a great visit. Lots of laughs, love, hugs, and book time with grandkids. My knee got a great workout going up and down the 4 flights of stairs at our son's house, so I guess my surgery must have been successful. According to my therapist, Mr. Horney, who fondled my knee this morning, it's doing swell.

I have briefly scanned the entries, and was so sorry to hear of Liz's friend's death, Don. It's good that you and Liz were able to go to the funeral of someone who meant so much to you both. Poor Connie, I do hope your tooth is all better. I shudder at the thought of that pain. Gary, it's good that amid all the holiday festivities you have been able to tackle those household tasks. You give me material with which to chastise Dick. He is sure to resent you before it's over.

Well, I must go. I am a combination of both tired and comfortable. I am hungry, but if I eat I will get even sleepier than I am now.

The New Year is upon us again, and I wish with all my heart that each of you has a wonderful 2010. It's always a little frightening to me, wondering about what could be lurking ahead, yet my past has proven God's faithfulness. He has been there every step of the way through some worrisome times, and I know He never looks away, even when I sometimes do.

Now, y'all stay warm, happy, and healthy down there. Our 'Dawgs won last night, and that's good. We were in the air while they were playing, but we recorded the game, and looked at a little of it before we went to bed.

Hugging every one of you in my heart.
Diane

12/29/09 05:17 PM #1081    

 

Donald Chandler

Hope that all of you had a blessed Christmas. Liz and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve Service at church and a great trip over to Oglethorpe County to visit family. There were 14 of us there in a small house, with a lot of great food. And our new little family member, Samantha Opal Johnson, was just a precious bundle of joy and a great Christmas gift to the family. On the way back to Marietta we drove right through the little town of Bethlehem… (Georgia)… as I’m sure many of you have done before.

Diane… I am happy to hear that you had a nice visit with your family in Colorado, and had a safe flight back home.

Gary… I agree with Diane… if news of you and your home projects gets around, it could be bad news for the rest of us guys. Take it easy my friend! By the way… “O Holy Night” is my favorite Christmas Carol, as you might have guessed. It too always takes me back to our visit to the Shepherd Fields outside of Bethlehem on our tour of Israel in 2000.

And Kathy… great to see you back on the forum after a long absence. Please visit more often and keep us updated on you and Rabun. And… that song, “How Great is Our God,” is one of our regular worship choruses at church. So I will be happy to “sing with you”… even though Liz has a much better voice than I do.

And greetings to our forum regulars, Connie and Jim too. It is always great to hear from you two Bulldog fans, and I’m sure you were both happy with last night’s Bowl Game results. That was a pretty ugly game up until about two minutes to go in the first half and then things got interesting! I was happy to see the Bulldogs go out on a winning note. But perhaps the news of the game was the network interview with the owner/trainer of Russ, the “temporary” mascot for the DAWGS. He let us know that “Russ” will not be the next UGA VIII, as expected, because of… 1- he is too old (6)… 2- the sound of the UGA marching band upsets him… and, 3- his butt is so bare that it would have to be “painted with white paint” every time he makes a public appearance! Dawg-gone-it! With a record of 2 wins and no losses, I say we keep him, even if he has a bare butt. :-)

My New Year’s resolution is to not make any New Year’s resolutions, Gary. But here’s wishing all of you a Happy & Healthy & Prosperous 2010.

Reporting live from Marietta… with just two days left in this old year (and this decade!)… this is Don.


12/30/09 08:53 AM #1082    

 

Gary Grice

Greetings one and all from the Classic City!
As I turned onto South Milledge this morning and looked in my rearview mirror I was struck by the beauty of the sun kissed clouds as the reds, greys and blues just rippled across the sky. And then "Somewhere Over a Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" began to play on my IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) CD - WOW! Just one of those moments when you tear up and say "God, please stop the world from turning for just a moment so I can take it all in!".....
But "I have many promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."
Later.

12/30/09 10:26 AM #1083    

 

Diane Harris (Moore)

Gary, I have that version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on my iPod, and listen to it often. You can't help but smile when you hear it. I have had so many moments such as you describe, when you feel like God just sent you a personal love letter via his beautiful handiwork. I think it's so, so sad the way we can become so consumed with the mundane things on our schedules that we fail to notice all the breathtaking wonders that take place right in front of us. I know your day started off better because you paused just long enough to think, "WOW, God, thank you".

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